Electrical switch-throwing mechanism.



J. A. ROSS.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH' THROWING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.13,1915.

1,295,266. Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I l I; 1} O 11 I. A. ROSS.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH'THROWING MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13. 1915.

1,205,266. Patent-ed Nov. 21, 1916.

JAMES A. ROSS, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRICAL SWITCH-THROWING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Application filed March 13, 1915. Serial No. 14,122.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. Boss, a citizen of the United States,v residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Switch-Throwing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the subject of railways, and more particularly to electric railways and specifically to switch 'point throwing mechanisms, whereby the switch point is electrically operated by the car operator within the moving car upon its approach to the switch, and to this end the invention contemplates a simple but practical switch throwing device designed to be actuated by the car operator, together with means for locking. the switch point in position after it has been thrown.

A further object of the device is to pro vide a locking mechanism for the switch point such that the same must first be operated before the switch can be moved, thus tending to add to the safety of the traveling public by providing a switch that can not be harmed or tampered with by unauthorized persons.

A further object of the device is to provide means whereby the current necessary to operate the switch magnets can be taken through the usual trolley pole, harp and. wheel with but slight modification of the present design of same.

With the above and many other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described,

7 illustrated and claimed.

'matter of this invention.

.the trolley pole base.

showing an electric car placed thereon, together with a general side view of the switch throwing mechanism which is the subject Fig. 2 shows a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig.

.3 is an enlarged view of the switch throwlng'mechamsm shown in Fig. 1 and illustrates more clearly the bell crank connection to both the magnets and the switch point. Fig.

4 is a front elevational view of the switch operating and switch locking mechanism. Fig.

5 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 4

of the drawings. Fig. 6 is an inverted plan -V1QW of the parts shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a side and edge view of the'current collector trolley, together with the current collector plates and conducting wires used in connection with the electrically controlled switch shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

:Fig. 8 shows a sideview of the housing placed above the trolley wire at'the point where the trolley wheel harp completes the circuit to the magnets shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 9 shows an edge view of the trolley wheel and harp as it would appear when passing through the housing shown 111 Fig. 8. Fig.

lar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out this invention no change is contemplated in the electric car, or in the track the car is operated over while but a slight change is contemplated in the usual trolley wheel and harp when using this preferable method of conducting the current from the trolley to the motormans operating switch, with no change in the trolley wire. If, however, conditions arise wherein it is considered advantageous not to change the present construction of the trolley wheel and harp it is then necessary to make a slight modification in the trolley wire, which preferably consists of installing a short section of insulated wire beneath the main body of the trolley wire through which the current is conducted to the magnets that control the switch point, and to this end there is shown the usual electric car designated by the numeral 10, equipped with the usual trolley pole 11, harp 12, and wheel 13 which operates while rolling on the under surface of the wire 14 in the usual manner; the same being held against the wire by the action of a spring 15 positioned at the base of the trolley pole.

In the preferable method there is placed on the trolley wire 14 in the vicinity of the switch point 16, a housing 17 which is formed in the shape of an inverted U between the pendent legs 18, to which operates the trolley wheel 13 and harp 12. Each of the pendent legs 18 of the housing 17 is provided with a wiping contact member respectively designated as 19 and 19, which is insulated from the housing 17 through insulating parts or washers 20, and is connected to the wires 19 and 19 respectively which connect with magnets 21 and 22, shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings.

For the purpose of rigidly holding the magnets 21 and 22 there is provided a frame 23, which is preferably supported upon a pole or similar device as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The frame 23 is provided with outwardly projecting magnetic pole piece supports 25 positioned below the magnets and 26 positioned above the magnets as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings.

Positioned upon the projecting supports 25 is a swinging beam 27 having placed thereon soft iron pole engaging pieces 28 which engage the pole of the magnet when the same is ener ized as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Likewise when the magnet 22 is energized the beam 29, which carries the magnet pole engaging piece 30 is tilted over as shown also in Fig.

4 of the drawings.

Since one of the objects of this invention is to provide a switch locking mechanism, as well as a switch throwing mechanism, it has been found advisable to combine the looking mechanism with the magnets that throw the switch, and to this end the swinging beam 27 is provided with a pendent rod 31 held in position by a stud or equivalent device 32.

Since the swinging beam 27 is provided with the switch throwing mechanism, it was found advantageous to combine the switch locking mechanism with the beam 29.

The switch locking mechanism essentially consists of a plurality of pendent arms 33 and 34 which are connected to the beam 29 at opposite sides by studs 35 and 36 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings.

The beam or lever 27 is provided with a centrally located upstanding locking projection or abutment 37, adapted to be alternately engaged by the ends 38 and 38 of the pendent locking bolt members 33 and 34, when the outer ends of the beams 27 and 29 are drawn toward each other through the energization of either of the magnets 21 or 22. These locking bolts are slidably guided through the eyes 39, as shown in Fig. 4, whereby they may be directed into positive engagement with the slightly undercut side faces 37? and 37 of the projection 37, upon the beam ends 27 and 29 being drawn toward each other.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that when the lower beam or lever 27 is drawn, under the influence of the magnet 22, to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the upper beam or lever 29 will also be drawn by the same magnet to the position shown by dotted lines in said figure, thereby placing the lower end 38 of the locking bolt 33 at one side of the locking projection 37, that is in engagement with the face 37*, with the result of restraining the switch point from movement to its other extreme position. When the reverse operation is to take place, the other magnet 21 is energized and the opposite ends of the armature beams or levers 27 and 29 placed under the influence of that magnet. Accordingly, acting in the same manner as a spring under restraint, the said magnet 21 will first operate the member having the least resistance, which in this case would be the armature beam or lever 29, with the result of causing the latter to rock on its pivot and withdraw the bolt 33 from looking interference with the projection 37, to be immediately followed by the movement ot the armature beam or lever 27when the latter is free to be acted upon by the magnet 21. This operation reverses the movement of the switch operating connections from the move ment which occurs when the beam or lever 27 is attracted by the armature 22. It will, of course, be understood that these operations which necessarily follow one another in the order stated, will be very rapid, sufficiently so for all practical purposes.

The switch point designated by the numeral 16, is provided with a recess 40 which is engaged by anupturned portion 41 of a connecting bar 42 which is preferably connected to the rod 31 through a bell crank 43. The bell crank 43 is provided with a suitable support 44 which is positioned along side the I track as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

In installing this switch throwing device it is quite possible that some electrical resistance should be used between the trolley circuit and the magnets that operate the switch; this has not been shown as it will vary with the trolley current and the magnet construction. In the preferable method of constructing this trolley pole device there would necessarily be placed in the motormans compartment of the car a switch through which the current used to operate the switch controlling magnets would go to ground. In the construction shown in Fig. 11, a switch 45 is wired with plates 46 and 4E7 through which the current passes to the switch.

T he current circuit for the position of the switch shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings could be traced as follows: First, from the trolley feeder wires to the resistance, if any is required in the circuit, thence to the magnet 22 by wire 14 and branch wire 14, from the magnet 22 through the wire 19 to the trolley harp housing, through the ofiset harp wiping strip 19, thence through the wire &8 to the plate 4:6 in the trolley pole base, thence to the contact 00 of the operators switch 45, thence to the ground at which instant the magnet 22 is energized and the switch point is placed in position as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, where it is also locked against further motion except when the magnet 21 is likewise energized and the switch point thrown in the opposite direction.

When the magnet 21 is energized to throw the switch to its open position, the circuit may be traced as follows: First, from the trolley feeder wire l t to the resistance, if any is required, thence to magnet 21 by way of wires 1% and A, thence through the magnet to wire 19 and to the trolley harp housing where it makes its way to the wire 48 through the wiping strip 19' (Fig. 9). From the wire -l8 the current goes to plate 47 in the trolley pole base (Fig. 11), and thence to the contact 3 of the operators switch 45, and thence to the ground at which instant the magnet 21 is energized.

Since the switch throwing and locking device is rigid and positive it can readily be seen that any effort to move the switch, except through the action of the controlling magnets, would be useless, and under heavy city tratfic conditions this may be obj ectionable due to vehicle wheels becoming wedged between the switch point and the rail, and for the purpose of overcoming this objection there has been designed the device shown in Fig. 13 which essentially consists of a casing 51 having therein a plurality of helical springs, through which the power necessary to move the switch point must be transmitted. This casing 51 is preferably placed in the rod 31 which connects the bell crank 13 to the swinging beam 27.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent is 1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a switch point locking and throwing device including a set of magnets, switch point operating means connected with the switch point and actuated by the magnets, and a lock controller also actuated by the same magnets and having means cooperating with said switch point operating means to alternately lock and release the latter.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a switch point, of a switch point throwing and locking device including a frame, magnets supported by said frame, a switch point operating member pivotally mounted on one end of said frame and actuated by said magnets, rod connections between said operating member and said switch point, and a. locking beam pivotally mounted on the opposite end of said frame and also actuated by said magnets, and means carried by said beam for locking said switch point operating member.

In an apparatus'of the class described, the combination with a switch point, of a switch point throwing and locking device including a frame, magnets supported by said frame. a switch point operating member pivotally mounted on one end of said f 'ame adjacent one end of said magnets and having rod connections with said switch point, an upstanding locking projection on said switch point operating member, a locking beam pivotally mounted on the opposite end of said frame adjacent the other end of said magnets, and means carried by said beam for alternately engaging with said locking projection on the switch point operating member.

at. In a device of the character described, the combination witha switch point, of a switch point throwing and locking device including a switch point operating armature member operatively connected with said switch point, a second armature member, magnets interposed between said armature members and adapted to shift the same upon being alternately energized, and means pivotally carried by one of said armature members for engaging and locking the switch point operating armature member.

In a device of the character described, the combination with a switch point, of a switch point throwing and locking device including a frame, magnets supported by said frame, a switch point operating armature member pivotally mounted at one end of said magnets and operatively' connected with said switch point, an upstanding locking projeetien carried by the central portion with the opposite side faces of the locking 10 of sald switch point operating armature pr01ect1on at alternate tunes.

member, another armature member pivot- In testimony whereof I affix my signature ally mounted on said frame at the other end in presence of two Witnesses. of said magnets, and locking bolts pivotally JAMES A Boss carried by said last mentioned armature member at each side of its pivot, and means Vitnesses:

carried by said frame for guiding the free N. E. GEE,

ends of said locking bolts into engagement B. C. MCCORMICK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

I Washington, D. C. 

